Out of Darkness
by SlumberingVoid
Summary: Jai Kell and his mother have recently joined the crew of the Ghost, a bunch of misfit rebels who make it their business to make life difficult for the Galactic Empire. But thanks to a mishap by Jai's Jedi boyfriend Ezra, his first mission as a rebel might be his last.


The grasslands of Lothal at night were a very peaceful sight, lit by the twin moons that bathed the plains in silver light and turned the deepest shadows an inky black. A pointy-eared Loth-cat, a very common sight in the plains, slept contentedly in a cosy nook between two rocks. Suddenly, its ears twitched as it heard an odd noise and its brain startled it into wakefulness. It sprang up onto its feet, fur puffed up and back arched, glancing around for the source. Then, without warning, the sound reached a high pitch right over its head. It was a kind of whistling screech, something which the Loth-cat had never heard before. But then another sound came along which it had heard, and which it really didn't like. This one was a much more aggressive screeching roar, the howling noise of the Twin Ion Engine starfighters used by the Empire. The Loth-cat hissed and screeched until the sound had faded, then yawned and fell back asleep. Yeah, you better run!

The TIE fighters were unaware of the little predator hissing at them, however. Their attention was focused entirely on the VCX-series auxiliary starfighter they were currently pursuing and trying to shoot down. Their twin Sienar Systems L-s1 laser cannons spat emerald laser bolts at the nimble little craft which swerved those that came too close. The craft in question, the _Phantom,_ was used to this sort of thing as were its occupants. At the helm, as usual, was Hera Syndulla, a green-skinned Twi'lek wearing an orange and white spacer's outfit and a custom headdress to keep her twin headtails, or lekku, in place. Her face was impassive but the slight tightening of the lines around her mouth showed her concentration. In the passenger compartment behind her, her fellow occupants were less adept at hiding their emotions. Two teenage boys sat side by side, their hands clenched and teeth gritted, whist opposite them sat a girl of about eighteen and dressed in a suit of Mandalorian armour, painted a garish shade of pink and splattered with orange which matched the orange streak in her hair. One of the boys, wearing an orange spacer's suit, yelled up to the front.

"You know, Hera, dying in a fiery explosion wasn't high on my list of priorities today!"

Hera shrugged this off, but the Mandalorian chipped in.

"Yeah, shouldn't we be firing back?"

"Keep calm, it's all part of the plan."

A green bolt sang past inches from them and blew a chunk out of a large conical rock formation. Hera, smirking, turned the ship sharply to the left and one of the TIES disappeared in a ball of flames and debris as it collided with another rock formation that the night mist had been hiding. That still left three, however.

"I don't need to shoot back, but if it makes you feel better."

Atop the _Phantom_, the Taim and Bak KX4 dorsal laser turret spun around and fired at the pursuing TIES, scoring a direct hit on the ball cockpit of one and sending it spinning into yet another mountain, where it exploded. Hera smiled as her companions joined her in the cockpit.

"There isn't a pilot in the Imperial fleet who can outrun me!"

The boy in the orange suit shook his purplish-blue hair out of his eyes and leaned against the console.

"Yeah, so how about teaching me some of those high-flying moves?"

Hera looked at him in disbelief.

"You, fly my ship? Are you sure you're ready, Ezra?" 

The boy, Ezra, nodded but winced from a punch to the shoulder from the other boy. 

"Well, I don't think so!" 

Ezra turned puppy-dog eyes on his boyfriend of three weeks. 

"What's the matter, Jai? Afraid of getting beaten at yet another thing?"

"No, I'm just afraid you'll crash and wreck the _Phantom_. These things are expensive, you know."

"Aww, and here I thought you loved me." 

Jai leaned in for a kiss, but a laser bolt from one of the pursuing TIEs chose that moment to hit and he instead fell forwards and smacked heads with Ezra. Hera grimaced and banked the ship down then up sharply in an attempt to avoid them. The Mandalorian girl, Sabine Wren, groaned and rubbed her elbow from where it had struck the wall. 

"Well, here's another fine mess we've gotten ourselves into!"

"I admit, it's a little messier than our intel indicated." 

Sabine glared at Hera.

"Yeah, that's been happening a lot lately! May I ask where this intel comes from?"

"You may ask." 

Another blast narrowly missed them and Ezra, massaging his head from when it had collided with Jai's, shouted at them. 

"Excuse me, sorry to interrupt, but could we perhaps focus a little more on NOT DYING!"

"Hang on, then!" 

Without warning, Hera turned the controls starboard as far as they would go and the ship turned onto its side as it shot through a narrow gap between two peaks. Even then, it barely cleared them and all aboard winced as they heard its undercarriage bang against the rock and scrape itself along it. One of the TIEs attempted to follow, but its profile was too wide and there was a wrenching sound as it wings separated from the main body. The ball cockpit bounced bizarrely off the rock like a metallic beach ball before exploding on cue. That left two TIEs, both of whom closed formation. Hera yanked the ship back onto a steady course and Ezra quickly checked the damage register. 

"We're fine. Paint might be a little scratched but no real damage."

"Oh, there's damage. Steering's off."

"Not what this says."

"It's what I say, and I know my ship!" 

The TIEs continued to pour fire after them. Jai shook his head. 

"Wow, they're really ticked off! Whatever we blew up back there must have been important!" 

Sabine seized on this, not satisfied by Hera's earlier answer or lack thereof. 

"Yeah, what was in that convoy? You never said, you just told us to go along with it!" 

Hera spoke with a tone that declared the conversation over. 

"I told you, Fulcrum's intel is on a need-to-know basis!" 

Sabine hung her head. 

"And I told you before, I need to know more." 

Yet another bolt sang past and Hera cursed under her breath. The dorsal turret fired once more, but at a nearby peak. A large quantity of black dust and rock shards fell in front of the lead TIE, which plunged into it. Unable to see, the pilot angled his fighter up so as to fly out of it... right into the flight path of the other TIE which had decided to go over the cloud. Both fighters collided and blew up, marking the last of the hunters. Aboard the _Phantom_, the four rebels sighed in relief at being out of danger. As the ship flew on out of the mountain range, nobody noticed a greenish-yellow fluid leaking out from its underside. 

LATER, IN EMPTY SPACE 

The _Phantom_ angled herself and docked smoothly with her mothership, Hera's pride and joy, the _Ghost_. Though considered an antique by some, the VCX-100 light freighter was nonetheless a reliable and sturdy ship and the _Ghost_ was no exception. Fielding a lot of special modifications to her weapons, shields and various other systems, the _Ghost_ was more than a match for the Empire's snubfighters and even its more heavy-duty light cruisers. But she was also a home of sorts for her ragtag crew, who were assembling to greet their returning family members. Jai slid down the ladder first and was immediately accosted by his mother, a feisty red-haired woman named Ursa, then came Ezra, Sabine and finally Hera, who had eyes only for her companion and first mate, the ex-Jedi Kanan Jarrus. He wasn't immediately apparent as a Jedi, but that was the whole point. These days, being a Jedi was an automatic death sentence if you were caught so he had dispensed with his robes and lightsaber and now wore a typical spacer's outfit with the addition of some armour plating along his right arm. He sported a ponytail and goatee and carried a DL-18 blaster pistol strapped to his thigh, giving him a bit of a space cowboy look. Behind him towered the muscle of the _Ghost_ crew, a purple-furred Lasat named Garazeb Orrelios. He had joined them after an Imperial massacre on his homeworld of Lasan, something which still gave him nightmares, and he concealed this pain beneath a gruff and occasionally sharp exterior. 

"Everyone all right?"

"We're all fine,, but I scraped the _Phantom_'s underbelly!" 

Kanan raised his eyebrows in mock surprise, a not-so-subtle dig at her piloting abilities. 

"Really? You?"

"Well, it was somewhat unavoidable... once _your_ plan went south."

"Aaah, there we go! Knew there was some way this was my fault!"

"And you were right, dear." 

Meanwhile, Jai was fighting to escape the clutches of his mother, who always fussed when he went on missions. 

"Mum, seriously, I'm fine! We just had a bit of a narrow escape, that's all!"

"Shame on you, worrying your poor mother like this! You want me to turn grey-haired with worry, cause it's going that way!" 

Jai laughed; his mother's hair was just as it always was, with not a trace of grey in the red. 

"Mum, you worry too much! You'd worry if I was working in a padded cell!"

"Because I'm your mother! That's my job!" 

She noticed Ezra looking slightly woebegone, since he had lost his parents at a young age, and seized him in a crushing hug as well. 

"Oh, now, none of that! Don't you think I'd forget about my son-in-law!"

"Mum! We're boyfriends, not husbands!""

"Can't you let me have any hope?" 

Hera cleared her throat, catching their attention. 

"Much as I'm enjoying your humiliation, Ezra, I'll need you to check the _Phantom_ before I go get the supplies from Fulcrum. Adjust the steering and run a diagnostic, Zeb and Chopper will assist you." 

Ezra made a noise of dissent, but one sharp look from Hera was all it took for him to climb up the ladder, followed by a grumbling Zeb. Chopper, an aging and cantankerous C1 astromech droid, grunted something in Binary and deployed his rocket booster to follow them. Jai made to slink away, but Ursa grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into the kitchen to help with some dishes and a hardy cup of coffee for Hera. Sabine, sitting in the den area, did not move but was obviously burning with questions. 

IN THE COCKPIT 

Hera sat in her comfortable pilot's chair and pressed a few buttons, entering coordinates into the ship's navicomputer. Within seconds, it had calculated a hyperspace jump and the black void gave way to the white and blue tunnel of hyperspace. As she slumped back, Kanan entered the cockpit with two cups of coffee, one of which he handed to her. 

"So, what happened out there?"

"Well, we took out the target. Fulcrum was right about the timing and location, but underestimated the strength of the Imperial defenses."

"It's getting harder to anticipate the Empire's moves, that's for sure." 

Suddenly, the cockpit door opened and Sabine made her presence known by clearing her throat. Obviously, she had a bone to pick. 

"Yeah, about that. I'd like to know why we're relying on intel from this Fulcrum character, whoever he is." 

Kanan stood up. 

"Look, it's Hera's job to find missions that cause trouble for the Empire and profit for us. If she trusts the contact's information, so do I. No questions asked."

"At the Imperial Academy, they didn't want me to ask questions. I didn't and it didn't end well, so that's why I ended up here!"

"And we're glad to have you!" 

Kanan's joking manner failed to cool Sabine's temper, however, and she growled at him. 

"You are so frustrating!"

"Yep, I've heard that one before." 

Kanan left the cockpit, still smiling, but Sabine was done with waiting. 

"Fine! I'm done asking questions. I'm telling you that I'm coming on your run to meet Fulcrum." 

Hera, finishing her coffee, sighed. 

"You know, you can be pretty frustrating too."

"I learned from the best."

"And I'm assuming that if I say no, you'll just stow away or force yourself onboard?"

"You know me well." 

Hera covered her eyes. 

"I was afraid you'd say that." 

MEANWHILE, IN THE _PHANTOM_

Zeb thumped the console hard in frustration as it ran through the diagnostic requested by Hera. Ezra, meanwhile, was in the repair duct banging about with a wrench. 

"This diagnostic's taking forever! How's it going in there?" 

Ezra popped his head up. 

"Hera was right. Steering Is definitely out of whack, but I've almost got it fixed!" 

He ducked back down as the diagnostic pinged to indicate something. 

"There we go, life support filters need cleansing. Chopper, once Ezra's clear, purge them!" 

Chopper grunted affirmatively as Ezra finished his repairs. 

"All fixed!" 

Chopper, chuckling to himself, activated the purging system and the duct filled with burning steam, causing Ezra to yelp in surprise. Zeb didn't notice, however. 

"Perfect! Steering and life support are back in working order!" 

He turned back to see a frazzled Ezra clambering out of the smoking duct and burst out laughing. 

"Sorry, kid! I told him to wait until you were out!" 

Chopper giggled, but Ezra wasn't amused and leapt onto the surprised droid and began hitting him with the wrench he still held. 

"Wait, we're not finished here! The diagnostic's still running!"

"You can run a diagnostic on Chopper when I'm done with him!" 

Attempting to dislodge the teenager, Chopper ran over Zeb's right foot. Hopping up and down in pain, Zeb growled and chased after them, not noticing the diagnostic starting to beep insistently. If he'd looked, he would have seen a warning flashing on the screen regarding the fuel line, which was registering a major leak. Chopper managed to get down the ladder but Ezra still clung on, whilst Zeb tried to grab both of them before they caused any more damage they'd then have to fix. 

"Come back here, you little monongs!" 

He grabbed Ezra and pulled him off Chopper, but before they could do anything else the doors opened and Hera and Sabine came in, the former with her usual stern glare which stopped them in their tracks. 

"I take it you've finished the repairs?"

"Uhhh, yeah. You were right, steering was out of whack but I fixed that."

"And diagnostic showed life support filters needed cleansing, which I did." 

Chopper, seeking an opportunity to cause more trouble, deployed his shock prod and zapped both of his erstwhile antagonists while they were distracted then barreled away down the corridor. Growling angrily, Zeb gave chase. 

"Chopper! I'm gonna dismantalate that rust-bucket!"

"Leave a few bolts for me!" 

Hera sighed. 

"Come on, let's go." 

As they were preparing to board the _Phantom_, Jai and Ursa emerged from the kitchen area. 

"Leaving again so soon, Hera?"

"Afraid so, Jai. Got to pick up Fulcrum's supplies."

"Well, good luck and safe flight." 

Suddenly, he was slapped on the back by Ursa. 

"Oh, so you just intend to let these two nice ladies go and do some heavy lifting? I think not! You can go with them and help." 

Jai looked at her incredulously. 

"What? First you admonish me not half an hour ago for going on that mission and now you're telling me to go on another one? Make up your mind, woman!"

"I just like keeping you on your toes. Now, off with you!" 

Sabine expected Hera to protest but she just shrugged. They were on a tight schedule and had no time to argue the point. As she climbed up the ladder, Chopper came rolling back through with Zeb and Ezra in hot pursuit. Seeing his boyfriend about to leave, however, he stopped chasing the droid. 

"Not sneaking away to turn me in to the Empire, are we?"

"Sorry, Ezra. I got roped into this supply mission of Hera's by my mother. But I'll be back soon."

"And I'll have some boyfriend-worthy alternatives lined up for when you meet an untimely end." 

Jai laughed and kissed Ezra on the lips. 

"It's just collecting some groceries. What could possibly go wrong?" 

Ezra laughed, but then jumped as he was shocked by Chopper once again. 

"Excuse me, I just have to go and kill Chopper!"

"Not sure you can really kill a droid!"

"Oh, believe me, I'll find a way!" 

Jai chuckled to himself and climbed up the ladder into the _Phantom_, wincing as he heard a loud crash from the direction in which Ezra had gone after Chopper. 

"You know, I'm not sure what state we'll find the _Ghost_ in when we get back."

"Well, it had better at least be able to fly, that's for sure." 

Jai sat down and strapped himself in, but Sabine remained standing by the pilot's chair as Hera detached the Phantom and flew off into space. After about ten minutes, Sabine decided to ask the question she'd been holding in.

"So, what's the deal with Fulcrum? Is he just another smuggler like Vizago or something else? Why all the secrecy?"

"Oh, it's no secret we're fighting against the Empire. We need as many allies as we can get."

"How is it you can answer my questions without answering them?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?" 

Just then, the console indicated an incoming transmission. A voice, male-sounding but oddly garbled, came through. 

"Phantom_, this is Fulcrum. Come in._"

"This is Spectre-2, Fulcrum." 

Sabine, a mischievous expression on her face, spoke up. 

"Why don't I talk to him?"

"Don't you dare!"

"_Already at the rendezvous, Spectre-2. Supplies unloaded and ready for pickup. Should I wait?_" 

Sabine leaned over and spoke before Hera could. 

"Sure, stick around! Spectre-2 and I would love to talk to you!" 

Hera shot her a look of both panic and annoyance, but before she could speak Fulcrum's voice came back on. 

"_Spectre-2, is there a problem?_"

"No problem, Fulcrum. Spectres 5 and 7 decided to help with the supply run." 

Jai shouted from his seat. 

"Hey, my help was involuntary!" 

There was silence on the other end of the line for a minute, then Fulcrum's voice spoke. 

"_Understood. Fulcrum out._" 

Hera immediately rounded on Sabine. 

"You know, an outburst like that is not appreciated."

"Neither is all this secrecy." 

Jai sensed that there was something bothering Sabine, but decided not to press the issue. They were coming up on a large debris field, of asteroids and other huge chunks of rock. Awestruck, Jai moved up to the viewport to look out. 

"We're meeting Fulcrum in an asteroid field?"

"Not exactly. This never used to be an asteroid field until some years ago. What you're seeing is what remains of the planet Anaxes."

"What happened?"

"I'm not entirely sure. Anaxes was one of the Republic's biggest shipyards during the Clone Wars, so it might have been an industrial accident." 

Jai looked out at the innumerable chunks of rock drifting in the vacuum, trying to imagine an industrial accident big enough to destroy a whole planet. They were approaching a very large one which seemed to have its own gravity, as it wasn't constantly turning or drifting like the others. To his astonishment, he saw buildings as they got closer, what was unmistakably a flight tower and a series of barracks and fuel tanks lined up on both sides of a wide landing strip. At the end, a large door in a gap in the asteroid led into what looked like a large hangar, but it was pitch black inside. The _Phantom_ flew over and settled down gently and they disembarked, looking around curiously. A number of bright red canisters were scattered around, most in a haphazard fashion, but there was a neat pile of supply crates in the centre of the landing strip. Sabine peered around. 

"So, where's the mystery man?"

"I don't know. Maybe Fulcrum didn't like your attitude. I know I sure didn't." 

As they walked, they didn't notice a green liquid begin to leak out from under the _Phantom_'s hull. They approached the pile of crates, which were arranged in a neat stack, and Hera scanned them one by one as though searching for something in particular. One of the crates, a green one, was marked ubiquitously with an odd symbol, like two prongs. As Sabine reached for it, Hera knocked her arm away. 

"I'll take that one." 

She engaged the built-in repulsorlift generator and began to push it towards the _Phantom_. Sabine looked quizzically at Jai, who shrugged and began to push one of the crates himself, followed by Sabine. As they turned, they failed to notice something moving in the gloom beyond the large hangar door. A dark shape, with glowing yellow eyes and a mouth which opened to reveal sharp teeth, bared in a snarl. As Sabine caught up with Hera, Jai fell back to let them talk. 

"Hera, I'm sorry for the attitude. It's just, things are getting more and more dangerous every day and I need to know you and Kanan trust me."

"We do trust you, Sabine. We just can't tell you everything. It's for the safety of the whole crew; if captured, you can't reveal what you don't know."

"You think I'd talk?"

"I think the Empire can make anyone talk. You know what they're capable of."

"Yeah, I do. And that's why I need to know more!"

"You already know what you need to know. I need you to trust me now." 

They had reached the _Phantom_ by now, and started loading the crates. Jai put a comforting hand on Sabine's shoulder. 

"I know you're frustrated, but she has a point. Why are you so insistent on knowing more about Fulcrum?"

"When I was a cadet at the Imperial Academy on Mandalore, I trusted the Empire and followed its orders blindly. It ended horribly and I've never forgotten. That's why I want to know more instead of just blindly following orders." 

Jai was curious, but knew better not to ask. This was obviously a difficult topic for her and he would find out when the time was right. Loading the first batch of crates into the shuttle, they turned and went back to get the others. 

"I know you're finding it difficult, Sabine, but I need you to have faith. Faith in us, faith in you, faith that there is something bigger than just us. Hold onto that."

"I'll try." 

Jai smiled kindly, but it vanished as they reached the crates. There seemed to be less of them. 

"That's funny. I could have sworn there were more crates."

"There were, but someone's dragged them off. See those scratch marks?" 

Hera pointed to the ground where the crates had been. There were long gouges, like claw marks, leading up to the open hangar door. Jai felt a shiver pass down his spine. 

"Maybe he's still here?"

"Who?"

"Fulcrum?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Well, who else knows about this base?" 

Hera glanced around.

"Not sure. This base was abandoned years ago, after the Clone Wars. Besides, why drag them? Why not use the anti-grav?" 

Before either of them could answer that, the light suddenly faded and darkness descended upon the base. Looking up, they saw a large asteroid drifting in front of the sun, blocking it out and causing the darkness. However, it was only a few seconds before the asteroid continued on its way and the sunlight returned, forcing them to shield their eyes. Sabine whistled. 

"Sunrise comes along fast in these parts!"

"Let's see what else comes along." 

Hera reached down and drew the blaster she kept in her boot holster, a Blurrg-1120 hold-out pistol, along with a torch. Sabine, smirking, pulled out her twin WESTAR-35s, manufactured on Mandalore and bearing a customized paint job and held them up in front of her. For his part, Jai pulled a powerful torch off his belt and reached for his own weapon. Since he was only fourteen, he and Ezra did not have blasters with a lethal setting. Instead, Jai made use of an Alderaanian target blaster, which fired powerful but non-lethal stun bolts and was more than adequate for his purposes. Weapons raised, they moved forwards into the inky blackness of the hangar. As their eyes adjusted and the light moved around, they saw the shapes of what looked like starships. The closest one was crushed underneath the massive door, evidently having prevented it from closing, and Jai's keen mind identified it as an ARC-170, a mid-range starfighter used in the later days of the Clone Wars. Further on, they saw what Jai was pretty sure had been a Republic Low Altitude Assault Transport, or LAAT gunship, with "had" being the operative word. It was like all the other ruined ships in the hangar, but most disturbing of all was the very deep gouges in the metal skin of its hull. Jai had read that the LAAT's hull plating had been two inches of tempered steel, yet it had been sliced through easily like it was cardboard. Suddenly, he jumped as Hera whispered something. 

"Up ahead, look." 

One of their missing supply crates was lying on its side in a clear space, but missing now applied to its contents. The lid was lying a few feet away and the same gouges and scratches perforated the crate every few feet. They slowed their pace, nervous now. 

"Whoever did this must have been pretty eager to get what was inside."

"Too eager to just flip the latch and open it? No, something's not right here." 

Suddenly, there was a loud clanging and clattering from the deepest shadows and both Jai and Hera pointed their blasters and torches in the direction of the sound. Sabine already had both her blasters at the ready, pointing every which way. Then another sound, a curious snuffling noise, and a look of realisation crossed Hera's face. 

"We're not dealing with a who, more like a what."

Sabine and Jai kept their weapons ready, peering into every shadow.

"Well, that's comforting. You don't happen to know why this base was abandoned, do you?" 

Before Hera could respond, a horrible screeching noise echoed through the darkness. It sounded like an animal call, but like no animal they'd ever heard. Jai saw movement in the shadows and pointed his torch in that direction. 

"I'm starting to have my suspicions."

"All in favour of getting out of here?"

"Aye."

"Aye, but back up slowly." 

They backed up, fingers on triggers and pointing the light this way and that. It wasn't until they heard the heavy breathing and sensed movement behind them that they thought to turn around. Jai quickly wished they hadn't; it was about three metres long and a foot tall, with glowing eyes and very long, sharp teeth and claws. As the torchlight fell on it, the thing screeched angrily and slashed at them with its claws. Hera leapt back in shock and dropped her torch, which went out. All three opened fire and the creature fled, but suddenly more were surging out of the shadows. Some were small, like dogs, but more than a few were about half as tall as they were and the same mass as a veermok. Jai shot one down as it leapt at him from atop a wrecked shuttle and it fell at his feet with a dead thud. Sabine was blasting away with her twin WESTARS and Hera brought one down with an expertly aimed shot to the eye, but there were too many to fend off. 

"Sabine, Jai, run! Run now!" 

They ran back towards the door and out into the sunlight, firing random or aimed blasts as they went. Jai fell back as he covered the other two and one came right for him. Before he could shoot it, it suddenly yelped in pain and skittered back from him. Not stupid, he quickly ran over to where Sabine and Hera stood by some of the red barrels and took up a stance to fight. The creatures flitted around in the darkness, wary of something. As they waited with bated breath, another asteroid drifted across the sun above them and the area on which they stood was bathed in darkness. It seemed to be what the creatures were waiting for, as they came for them en-mass. Jai took down one that was charging in from Sabine's left, but just before a huge group of them could sink their claws into them the asteroid moved away from the sun and light shone down upon them. Immediately, the creatures made screeching noises of pain and to his great surprise, Jai saw that their skin seemed to be smoking. The ones they hadn't killed or stunned quickly retreated back into the darkness, with only their yellow eyes glaring at them malevolently. Confident that they were safe for now, they holstered their weapons. 

"Whatever those creatures are, they can't take the sun."

"So we're safe as long as we stay out here?"

"Not exactly, Jai. See that asteroid? That's going to block out the sun for a long time." 

Jai looked up and saw a truly massive asteroid floating overhead. It must have been bigger than a house and was already on course to block out the sun. Jai estimated they had about ten minutes before it plunged the area into darkness. Ten minutes would be more than enough for those creatures to get them. 

"How long?"

"I don't know! Long enough for us to become lunch, anyway!"

"Well, lucky we weren't planning on staying. Load up the remaining crates and lets get out of here." 

It only took them two minutes to load up the six remaining crates and it was with great relief that Jai sank into a chair and prepared for departure. Never again would he joke before going on a mission! It took him a few seconds to realise that they weren't lifting off and that Hera was thumping the console frantically. 

"No, no, no! We had nearly a full tank when we landed! How can we be out of fuel?!" 

That had him up and by her side in an instant, hoping sincerely that she was just joking or misreading something. But, no dice; the fuel gauge was showing empty and it had been nearly full when they left the Ghost. Sabine and Jai exchanged looks. 

"You know, suddenly I have a _really_ bad feeling about this!"

"So do I, and thank the Force that Ezra's not here. If he makes one more joke about womanly problems-" 

All three of them reached the same conclusion at the same moment. 

"EZRA!" 

Then all three dived for the comlink. 

ABOARD THE _GHOST_

Zeb was all settled down with a nice plate of space waffles and blue milk cream, with his favourite jazz riff playing on the speaker. Then the door opened and Chopper rolled in with Ezra on top of him, prepared to whack him with the wrench he still held. 

"Hera's not here to save you now!" 

But Chopper didn't need her. He spun on the spot and Ezra flew off him, landing with a splat on something. When he looked up, it was to find a very pissed-off Zeb staring at him with his erstwhile meal stuck to his face. Ezra smiled nervously, then dived for the door. Despite his large size, Zeb was faster than he looked and he seized the young human by the back of his jacket. 

"Right! Now I'm gonna dismantle both of you!"

"_Spectre-2 to Spectre-4, come in! Spectre-4, come in!_" 

Shaking his head in anger at having lost the opportunity to pummel the two misfits, Zeb activated his comlink. 

"Spectre-4, go ahead."

"_You did run a full diagnostic on the_ Phantom, _correct?_"

"Yes?"

"_And you checked the results?_" 

Ezra and Zeb looked at each other nervously. 

"Ummmmmmmm."

"_Zeb?_" 

They ran for the nearest console and brought up the most recent diagnostic. There, sure enough, was the fault they had missed; damage to the fuel line which indicated a catastrophic rupture if not attended to immediately. Zeb nervously addressed the comlink. 

"Spectre-2, there might a small problem with the fuel line."

"_Small problem?! Guys, we have a situation here!_"

"What kind of situation?"

"_Oh, not much! Just a bunch of nasty creatures who are about to eat us!_"

"_Get Kanan, get the ship and get over here! Now!_" 

Zeb and Ezra prepared to knock on Kanan's door when it suddenly slid open. Kanan, not moving an inch from his meditation or even opening his eyes, spoke. 

"Hera's in trouble, isn't she?"

"How did you know? The Force?"

"No, I could hear you right outside!"

"Oh."

"Tell her we're on our way."

"_I heard. Just hurry!_" 

BACK ON THE ASTEROID BASE 

Hera signed off and turned to her companions, who were regarding the giant asteroid with apprehension. It was halfway to covering the sun completely. 

"No way they get here before that asteroid blocks out the sun."

"Nope."

"Maybe we can hole up in the _Phantom_?"

"Judging by the torn-up shuttle in there, that won't work. Could get grim."

"Yeah, those things can claw their way through two inches of steel. The _Phantom_'s hull might as well be tin foil for all the good it would do us." 

Sabine turned thoughtful eyes on some of the red barrels. 

"I'll take grim right about now. These markings represent just what we might need."

"Sabine, fuel is useless with a busted fuel line."

"That's not what I meant. Hera Syndulla, Jai Kell, allow me to introduce you to one of my oldest and most explosive friends: rhydonium." 

Seeing what she was getting at, Jai and Hera smiled. 

"Charming to meet you."

"It's good to have friends. So what's your plan?"

"Since we don't know how many are in there, we can set up waves of canisters to take them out a wave at a time."

"How will you get them close enough for it to work?"

"Live bait."

"You mean us, don't you?"

"Afraid so."

"Well, lucky for you I decided to wear my new barbecue sauce cologne today." 

Between the three of them, they managed to gather the canisters of rhydonium scattered around the place and deploy them strategically according to Sabine's plan. Soon, they had four rows of rhydonium barrels lined up and not a moment too soon. The light, which had been dimming by the minute, now began to fade entirely as the asteroid moved its huge form across the sun. Darkness engulfed the landing strip and they took up positions. 

"Jai, remember, your stun bolts won't trigger the rhydonium so you'll need to keep us covered."

"Got it. I'll shoot any of them that I can see but I'm not sure if I can get them all." 

As they watched the entrance get darker, they saw movement behind one of the fuel cells. Then a hand drew sharp claws down the metal with a long screech and a pair of glowing yellow eyes peered round it. The creature, seeing the light fading, emerged from cover and came for them with a screech. Quick as a flash, Hera fired at the barrel it had just been hiding behind and a huge rainbow explosion lit them as the creature went flying. Their elation vanished, however, as they saw more emerging; there had to be at least a dozen of them and more were moving in the deepest shadows. 

"Whoa, that's a lot of them!"

"Stay calm and stick to the plan." 

They fell back to the next group of canisters, firing randomly into the onrushing mass of creatures. A few went down but there was plenty more where that came from. Jai nailed one right between the eyes as it leapt forwards and then two more as they went for Hera. 

"Wait for it!" 

The creatures were now level with the rhydonium barrels they'd just left and Sabine took the shot this time. The barrel she hit detonated the two next to it and half a dozen of the creatures were caught in the blast. Taking a moment to catch their breath. 

"Hey, it worked! We just might survive this!"

"Wait, you doubted your own plan?"

"No, never."

"Good, cause I sure did."

"Hey!" 

Jai saw more shapes moving through the smoke from the explosion and quickly yelled to catch their attention. 

"Hey, ladies, we're still in mortal peril here! Wave three inbound!" 

This time, it was a whole line of canisters and over two dozen of the creatures that went. Jai's finger was barely ever off the trigger keeping Hera and Sabine covered but there seemed to be an endless supply of them, each wave more aggressive and snarly than the last. 

"Incoming! Light 'em up!"

"Gotcha!"

"Sabine, on your left!"

"Two of them closing fast!"

"More of them coming in from the right!"

"Behind the crates!" 

It was no good; there were too many of them, their supply of rhydonium was running out and now they were backed up against the _Phantom_. Their blasters were going non-stop but there were just too many to shoot. 

"What now?!"

"The _Phantom_?"

"Not inside, get up top! Now!" 

They heaved themselves up on top of the _Phantom_, but it was a temporary refuge. The creatures were assaulting them from all sides and a few got close enough to deliver glancing blows. Jai sent one down with a kick to the face and Sabine blew away two at once with her pistols. 

"They just keep coming!"

"Tell me something I don't know!"

"We're going to die!"

"That's no secret! Try to think positively!"

"We're going to die quickly!"

"That's positive?!" 

Jai thought it was. He closed his eyes as yet another wave of the creatures closed in, imaging Ezra's face to be the last thing on his mind and hoping it would stay even when they finally did get him. But the pain he expected did not come. Suddenly, the area was lit in a blinding white light and a familiar high-pitched droning reached their ears. Hovering in for a landing, it's highbeams on full blast, was the _Ghost. _Jai could see Kanan in the cockpit and, most surprisingly, his mother in the forward gunner's seat. The cargo bay door opened and there stood Zeb, toting his bo-rifle, and Ezra. Jai's face lit up and he smiled at his boyfriend, who smiled back. Jai then pointed at the creatures, who had retreated immediately from the light, but one of them got the idea to stick its arm into the light. Much to its evident surprise, its skin didn't burn which meant the light was ineffective against them. 

"The light's not hurting them!"

"Then we better move! Into the ship, now!" 

Hera took her own advice and leapt up onto the ramp as Ezra and Zeb began to fire down at the creatures, Zeb with his bo-rifle and Ezra with his cute little energy slingshot. He jumped down onto the roof of the Phantom and landed next to Jai. 

"Sabine, Jai, go! I got your back!"

Sabine followed Hera's example and jumped up onto the ramp. Jai kissed Ezra on the cheek.

"My hero!"

"Hey, these guys aren't so tough!" 

But Ezra's momentary lapse of concentration allowed one of the creatures to jump up and grab him. Startled, he punched it in the nose but judging by the angry hissing noise it made, that had just made it angry. 

"Karabast!" 

Then he had fallen off the ship and was on the ground, fighting to get the creature off him as another group approached. Jai reacted instinctively. 

"NO!" 

He threw his arms out and a powerful blast of Force energy hit the creature, blasting it off and away from Ezra. It flew ten feet before crashing into a mangled piece of metal and lying there immobile. Jai looked at his hands in astonishment, then seized Ezra by the arm and pulled him upright. Despite the obvious pain he was in, Ezra couldn't help but smile in amazement. 

"Now you're my hero!"

"What was that about them not being so tough?" 

Ezra smiled bashfully, but before they could kiss Sabine's voice yelled out from above them. 

"Sorry to ruin the moment, but there's more of them inbound!" 

Quickly heaving his boyfriend then himself up onto the _Phantom_, Jai fired off a few stun bolts at the oncoming nasties before accepting a helping hand up into the _Ghost_ from Zeb. 

"Nice moves out there, champ!" 

One of the creatures, sensing its prey was escaping its grip, leapt up towards them but this time it was Zeb who put himself between it and Jai, delivering a roundhouse punch to its face which sent it back down to the ground. More of them were jumping up as well and though the group's combined firepower was forcing them back, several were still managing to get onto the ramp before they got shot. Zeb, firing his bo-rifle one-handed, yelled over his shoulder to Chopper. 

"Chopper, close her up!" 

Chopper grunted something in the affirmative and the boarding ramp began to close, but three of the creatures managed to latch on and tried to squeeze through the gap. Ezra and Jai took out two of them, but the last one was a particularly large specimen and it was having trouble squeezing its body in or out of the ship. With a growl, Zeb activated the electrostaff setting on his bo-rifle and it flared to life with crackling, purple electrical energy. 

"No hitchhikers!" 

With that, he jabbed the creature with the electrostaff head and it screeched in pain as 11'000 volts of electricity coursed through its body before yanking itself out through the gap, allowing the door to finally close. However, scratching and thumping noises on the hull outside indicated that some of them were trying to find other ways in. In the cockpit, Hera found Kanan struggling with the liftoff controls. 

"Something's wrong! She's not responding!" 

Smiling to herself, Hera quickly pushed him aside and began pressing buttons herself. 

"Rerouting auxiliary power to the hull!" 

One of the sharp-toothed nasties suddenly appeared on the cockpit window, glaring in at them malevolently. Next second, it had fallen out of sight with a yelp as the hull suddenly became electrified. Similar screeches and thuds from outside told her that more than a few of them had managed to clamber onto the ship and found to their cost why it didn't like it. Kanan looked at her, startled. 

"Didn't know the _Ghost_ could do that!"

"There's a lot you don't know about my ship, dear. Chopper, reroute coolant to the engines!" 

Down below in the hold, Chopper quickly obeyed her whilst Sabine activated the ship's magnetic cargo bed to pick up the _Phantom_, which the creatures were mercifully leaving alone. Ezra rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke to Jai. 

"Thanks for saving me back there."

"I had to. You still owe me five credits!" 

Ezra smiled and kissed him. 

"Knew you loved me."

"And later I'll show you just how much." 

Sabine gave them an odd look, then turned back to the hoist controls. 

"Hera, the _Phantom_'s secured! Let's get the hell outta here!"

"Amen, Sabine! Lifting off now!" 

Outside, the creatures snarled and hissed at the strange, metal object that was carrying away their meal. In the gunner's seat, Ursa guessed their mood and angled the forward turret to point at them. 

"Hungry, are you? Well, eat this!" 

And she fired several shots at the group, forcing them to scatter and flee back into their nest of shadows. With the _Phantom_ securely magnetised to the ship's cargo bed, the _Ghost_ turned her back on the old clone base and streaked off into space. 

LATER, IN DEEP SPACE 

Under the sharp gaze of Hera, Sabine and Jai, Zeb and Ezra finished hauling the final supply crate from the _Phantom_ and into the _Ghost_'s cargo bay. Their heads were bowed, but they could still read the sheepish expressions. Zeb was the first to swallow his pride and look up. 

"Look, Hera, I'm sorry about not checking the diagnostic."

"We're all sorry. Right, Chop?" 

Chopper grunted, which presumably meant yes. 

"Anyway, we'll fix the _Phantom_."

"Don't even worry about it"

"Now, why would I worry?" 

She looked to her companions, who mimicked poses of deep thinking. 

"Hrm, I don't know. Maybe because the last time they fixed it we ended up stranded?"

"Or maybe because we almost got eaten by a bunch of savage creatures?"

"Oh, that's right." 

She walked over to the ladder up to the cockpit and climbed up it, shortly followed by Sabine. Jai shot his boyfriend one last reprimanding stare, for good measure, then climbed up it as well. However, he got off at the kitchen area where Ursa was waiting for him. Though she was putting on a brave face, Jai could tell that she was really worried and upset, not least because she'd forced him to go on the mission. Ever the loving and caring type, Jai pulled his mother into a tight hug. 

"You know, now I appreciate just how dangerous and difficult grocery shopping can be." 

She gave a watery chuckle. Jai patted her on the back, then left her clattering around in the kitchen. Whenever she was upset, she liked to cook something and he knew it was best to just leave her to it. As he approached his and Ezra's cabin, he saw Hera emerging from the cockpit and stopping Sabine just before she could enter her own room. 

"Sabine, I know you want answers, answers I just can't give you right now. But know that I trust you. I just trusted you with my life down there!"

"Yeah, me too. We all trust you, Sabine, so don't ever feel like we don't." 

She looked very touched, which was surprising since she very rarely showed any emotion. 

"I know, Hera. And thanks for that, Jai. I needed that."

"Any time."

"In time, I will tell you more. But for now, just know that I trust you. And that we are not alone in fighting this battle against the Empire."

"Thanks, Hera." 

LATER, ON LOTHAL 

Having landed the _Ghost_ in their usual spot in the grasslands, they had enjoyed themselves immensely with the dinner Ursa had cooked, helped by the supplies they had recovered, before retiring to their cabins for the night. Whilst Jai read a holobook he'd recovered from his collection, Ezra nervously sat on his bunk, still guilty about how his one moment of negligence had put Jai in mortal danger. Jai sensed this through the Force bond they shared, but was unsure of whether he should soothe Ezra's guilt or let him stew a bit longer. Eventually, compassion won out over cruelty and he shut off his holobook and sat down next to Ezra. 

"Look, I know you still feel guilty but you don't need to anymore. We've made our jokes and gotten our revenge, so you're fine." 

Ezra shook his head. 

"No! It was stupid of me not to check that diagnostic instead of going after Chopper! It nearly got you killed and I never even told you I loved you before you left."

"Well, yes, you were a bit irresponsible but I know Chopper can be very annoying and you came to my rescue, like the great Jedi of old."

"But then you did most of the rescuing after my idiocy nearly got me eaten."

"Well, yes but-"

"Just stop trying to find excuses, Jai. I failed you, I'm a rubbish boyfriend!" 

That was too much melancholy for Jai's tastes.

"You are not a rubbish boyfriend! You are the best boyfriend I have ever had!"

"But you only had one before me!"

"True, but he was an asshole so he doesn't count!" 

Ezra looked at him utter surprise; Jai almost never swore! 

"Did you just swear?"

"Yep! I learned from you!" 

Ezra was too startled at his gentle, good-humoured boyfriend saying a bad word that he didn't notice Jai's hand wandering across him until Jai had climbed into his lap and begun to kiss him. They made out, gently and lovingly, for several minutes before Jai stopped to whisper softly against Ezra's lips. 

"Now I'm gonna show you why you're a good boyfriend. Because a bad one wouldn't get this." 

His fingers played with Ezra's waistband and touched him through his trousers. Ezra moaned slightly as Jai's hand brushed his now prominent erection through his orange trousers. Jai's fingers expertly wove their way into his belt and undid it, pushing his now loosened trousers and underwear down slowly but steadily. When the fingers brushed the skin on Ezra's thighs, it felt like electricity was tingling in their bodies. When Ezra's trousers were down to his knees, Jai stopped kissing him and lowered his head. Before he could do what he was about to do, however, Ezra suddenly stopped him. 

"Wait! Let me just lock the door! We do NOT want anyone bursting in on us like this!"

"Hah! Good point!" 

Ezra stood up off the bunk and was about to walk over to the door when he remembered his trousers and pants were currently around his knees and bent down to pull them off completely, giving Jai an excellent view of his tanned backside. After kicking off the obstructive garments, Ezra (naked from the waist down) went over to the door and keyed in a code which locked it until they input the password to override it. As he did so, he heard Jai speak from behind him. 

"You know, you look really good from behind when you're half-naked!" 

Ezra laughed but didn't turn around, but he heard the telltale rustling which told him that Jai was undressing. 

"Then you'll love me fully naked from the front." 

When he turned around, Jai was reclining on the bunk wearing nothing but a smile, one leg arched up provocatively and his erect cock sticking out. Feeling himself getting hard at the sight, Ezra reached down and pulled his jacket, shirt and vest up and off in one and dropped them heavily onto the floor. Jai's tongue poked out of his mouth and licked its way around the lips as Jai took in his boyfriend's naked form. Ezra looked down at him with adoration as he knelt down on the bunk and straddled Jai. Their lips met and they began to kiss gently, letting out little moans and grunts. Their hard members ground against each other, heightening their lust, and Jai reached behind Ezra's head to pull him in closer. After two minutes, they broke apart and stared at each other, lips swollen and cheeks flushed. 

"You are a great kisser!"

"So are you!"

"Yeah, I'm better! Ouch!" 

Jai had smacked Ezra's bare bottom for that one, but to his great surprise it felt more pleasurable than painful. 

"Oh, go suck yourself!"

"Unfortunately I'm not that flexible- hey, wait a minute!"

Jai saw a glint in Ezra's eye which suddenly made him nervous.

"Uh-oh! Whatever foul, depraved things are currently running through your mind, count me out!"

"Hold onto that thought." 

Quick as a flash, Ezra was up and off him and standing next to the bed, grabbing Jai's legs and pulling him down so that he was stretched out across its whole length. Jai watched him, partly turned on and partly apprehensive. 

"Ezra, what are you doing?"

"Trying out something I saw on an aftermarket holo. It's called a sixty-nine and trust me, you'll love it." 

With that, he angled himself so that his head was hovering over Jai's crotch and his own cock was dangling in Jai's face. Not yet catching on, Jai reached up and began to fondle his boyfriend, only to yelp as Ezra's left foot kicked him. 

"No, not that! You suck mine and I suck yours, at the same time."

Finally getting it, Jai's face lit up.

"Oh, right. Well then, let's get to it!" 

Now it was Ezra's turn to be surprised as Jai seized him by the buttocks and pulled him down so that his cock slide right into his warm, waiting mouth. After getting over the shock of it, Ezra dipped his head and took Jai's length into his own mouth. His tongue, skilled at this sort of thing, worked its way along the warm, silky smooth skin of his boyfriend's dick, making him moan in pleasure around his own cock. Jai, who wasn't as skilled but made up for it in enthusiasm, reached up and began massaging the soft, tanned mounds of Ezra's butt cheeks and stimulating his own moans. They sucked each other off for about five minutes before Ezra pulled off all of a sudden, prompting Jai to do the same. 

"Let's try it in a different position. Get on the floor and lie on your side." 

Very reluctantly, as he was enjoying himself thoroughly, Jai wriggled out from under Ezra and got off the bed, yelping as Ezra smacked him on the bottom as payback. He flashed him a naughty grin over his shoulder, but before he could lie down on the floor Ezra threw down a blanket. 

"Lying naked on a cold, metal floor will spoil it a little."

"Yeah, just a bit." 

Jai lay down on his right and Ezra lay down on his left, their still-hard cocks waving tantalisingly in front of their faces. Both of them resumed their previous pace of sucking, slow and gentle. The room was filled with constant slurping and tiny moans of pleasure. Getting bolder, Ezra flitted his hands over Jai's hips and buttocks before teasing his entrance with a finger. Jai nearly bit down on Ezra's dick in response, but kept on sucking. He trusted Ezra with his life and loved him deeply, along with the additional pleasure of having his ass teased and invaded by his boyfriend's finger, so he felt it was only fair to reciprocate. Dragging his left hand slowly along the skin of Ezra's thigh and right buttock, he began to poke and pinch the tender flesh with two fingers whilst a third mimicked what Ezra's was doing to him. Both boys were now losing control, the pleasure becoming too much for them, but they stubbornly resisted it, acceding to that age-old instinct to prolong the experience for as long as possible. But they could only fight nature for so long, and Ezra's resolve broke first. With a grunt that was muffled by Jai's length, he shot four loads of cum into his boyfriend's mouth. Jai choked in surprise as it hit the back of his throat, but dutifully swallowed it down as Ezra emptied his balls. When the last traces had been swallowed and Ezra's dick licked completely clean, Jai let it slip from his mouth and just lay there admiring it as his boyfriend brought him to orgasm. After about a minute, Jai felt a familiar heat pooling in his groin and gasped as he blew four loads as well into Ezra's waiting mouth. Ezra eagerly gobbled up the offering, then let it slide from his mouth. They lay there for a few moments, regaining control, then Jai rolled around and lay next to Ezra. 

"That was great, Ezra!"

"Yeah, it was! Best sixty-nine ever, in my opinion."

"Wait until our next one, Mr. Horndog! I'll show you!" 

They kissed gently, then heaved themselves up and began to get ready for bed, Ezra gathered up the blanket and returned it to the bed while Jai picked up their scattered clothes and set them out for the next day. Once that was done, they snuggled up underneath the blankets and lay there, Jai stroking Ezra's nipple and Ezra stroking Jai's hair. After a minute, Jai spoke up. 

"Hey, you think that next time you and Kanan have a lesson, I could perhaps join in? I mean, you do want me to become a Jedi, right?"

"Of course I do! And I myself think it's a great idea, only Kanan isn't sure if he can teach both of us at the same time."

"Well, how about if I watch what he teaches you and then copy it myself?"

"That might work. OK, let's do it next time I have a lesson."

"Sounds good to me!" 

Ezra laughed, then looked very solemn. Jai picked up on this immediately and hugged him closer. 

"And, Jai? I'm really sorry about today! I promise it'll never happen again."

"It's OK, Ezra, I forgive you. And you know why I forgive you?"

"Why?"

"It's because I know that wherever we go, and whatever happens, we'll always be there for each other. Agreed?"

"Agreed." 

They kissed to seal the deal, then settled down for a night's rest. Soon, they were fast asleep, dreaming of the day's events and contemplating what lay before them. A whole galaxy of adventure, they hoped. 

Oh, if only you knew, boys. If only you knew.

Goodnight, and may the Force be with you.


End file.
